Comunicatori pubblici dietro la timeline. La sfida dei social media tra nuove competenze professionali e vecchie resistenze al cambiamento

This article investigates the process of domestication of social media by Italian public administrations, focusing on the evolution of public sector communication and on the characteristics of professionals who manage official social media channels on behalf of public administrations. Manuscript reports results from a study carried out in 377 municipalities in the Italian region of Sardinia, aimed at exploring roles, motivations, skills and competencies of people who work behind the Facebook timelines. Findings show that social media represent an area of innovation for public communicators but they also highlight the reiteration of public administrations’ old vices and resistances.